The fiery Dou Qi, like flames, enveloped Hong Tianxiao in its intense heat. In his hands, a large saber measuring several feet long whistled through the air, sending out surges of hot gusts. The saber’s light howled and fell entirely upon the Earth Demon Puppet’s body. “Clang! Clang!” The large saber hacked fiercely upon the Earth Demon Puppet’s body. With all his might, Hong Tianxiao managed to leave some scars on the latter’s silver surface, but no blood flowed. As if it did not notice these wounds, the Earth Demon Puppet’s powerful fists sent out low sonic booms, pounding towards Hong Tianxiao one after another, causing him to dodge somewhat clumsily. After all, unlike the Earth Demon Puppet, he could not ignore all pain. Glancing at the figure treading through the void, Hong Tianxiao’s already gloomy face grew even darker. With a roar, he wielded his saber into a hurricane of blades. The sharp saber light deflected the puppet’s fists away with a crisp sound. “Blazing Shattering Saber!” A torrent of red Dou Qi condensed wildly on the saber. Hong Tianxiao’s eyes gleamed coldly, and he lashed down with a fierce swing. The saber’s edge cut through the air and slashed heavily on the Earth Demon Puppet’s shoulder. Instantly, the blade dug half an inch in, and the fiery edge caused plumes of white smoke to rise from the Earth Demon Puppet’s shoulder!
“Bang!” Facing such an attack, the Earth Demon Puppet’s eyes remained vacant, ignoring the saber. Its silver fist abruptly smashed onto Hong Tianxiao’s chest.
“Hmph!” A punch came, and a terrifying force surged forth. A muffled grunt escaped Hong Tianxiao’s throat as he staggered. He quickly retreated, suppressing the sweetness in his throat.
“Kill my puppet, and you’ll die!” Just as he steadied himself, a cold, indifferent voice suddenly rang out behind him before he could react.
Hearing the voice, Hong Tianxiao’s eyes narrowed, and he turned toward Xiao Yan. All he saw was a fading afterimage. Gazing at the dissipating shadow, a chill surged through his heart. Just as the chill rose, a terrifying gale blasted from behind.
In shock, Hong Tianxiao hastily spun around. Without hesitation, his fiery saber gathered all his Dou Qi and sliced down fiercely.
“Shrrr!”
The sharp saber light slashed directly onto a massive vortex of soul power. Both forces paused for a moment before Hong Tianxiao’s arm shook violently, and the vortex of soul power exploded.
“Boom!” An invisible wave spread out, forcing Hong Tianxiao’s throat to sweeten again. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Ignoring the blood, he pleaded, “Young Brother Xiao Yan, this grudge is between you and the Wind Lightning North Pavilion. It has nothing to do with me. I was forced to intervene.”
“Do you think I would believe that?” Xiao Yan looked at Hong Tianxiao, a faint sneer on his face. The old man was quick to shift the blame.
“Xiao Yan, our Hong Family was indeed in the wrong. If you speak up, we will gladly compensate for your losses!” Seeing this, Hong Tianxiao’s expression froze, and he hurriedly added.
“Compensation?” Xiao Yan paused, seemingly intrigued.
Seeing Xiao Yan show interest, Hong Tianxiao was delighted and nodded eagerly. His face was sincere and joyful, but his heart was filled with malice.
“According to what that Wu Lei said earlier, this kid’s power comes from a soul within him, meaning he can’t maintain this state for long. Once the time passes, he’ll grow weaker, and then I can kill him. This little brat has cost the Hong Family heavily, and he’s clearly not merciful. Reconciliation will be extremely difficult. So, this boy must die!”
Smiling warmly, Hong Tianxiao said, “If Xiao Yan wants, our Hong Family will do everything in our power. Resolving our grudges might even make us friends.”
Xiao Yan seemed to ponder, then nodded slightly. “Since Elder Hong has this intention, that would be-“
Before he could finish, Xiao Yan’s eyes turned icy. Sensing the dangerous wind from behind, Hong Tianxiao felt a chill. Before he could evade, a terrifying fist wind appeared behind him.
“Xiao Yan, you scoundrel, dare to deceive me!”
Feeling the strong wind, Hong Tianxiao roared and swung his saber at the rear. With a loud clang, it hit the Earth Demon Puppet’s arm. The puppet did not retreat; instead, it leaped forward, spreading its arms and holding tightly onto Hong Tianxiao.
Caught, Hong Tianxiao panicked and struggled furiously. Red Dou Qi erupted from his body, but the puppet held him fast, undaunted by the heat.
“If you want to kill me, I won’t let you off easy!” Held by the puppet, Hong Tianxiao’s eyes filled with madness. His Dou Qi burst, and a violent force surged out. It seemed this old man intended to explode.
Expecting this, Xiao Yan’s figure flashed like a ghost. His eyes icy, green flames shot from his hand like a flaming spear, piercing hard.
“Shrrr!” With a faint sound, Hong Tianxiao stiffened, looking down at the fiery hand through his chest. His gaze, still filled with malice, suddenly froze.
Killing Hong Tianxiao, Xiao Yan’s face remained blank. He pressed his hand to the old man’s forehead, pulling out a phantom soul.
“Xiao Yan, you bastard, I’ll take you with me today!” The phantom soul roared with anger, but before it could explode, a vast soul force surged from Xiao Yan, slamming into it. The old man’s soul became ethereal, and his consciousness rapidly faded.
The soul clash was perilous. Even a slight misstep could damage one’s mind. Fortunately, with the help of the Heavenly Fire Venerable, Xiao Yan’s soul power was far stronger than Hong Tianxiao’s. Thus, the old man’s mind was obliterated.
Seeing the dazed soul, Xiao Yan grabbed it, and a wild soul force stormed in, erasing all memory. Quickly, he took out a jade bottle and stuffed the soul inside, sealing it with a flame.
“The soul and body of a five-star Battle Sect, a good haul. If I get a seventh-grade demonic core, I can make another puppet, if I’m lucky…” Sweeping Hong Tianxiao’s cooling corpse into his storage ring, Xiao Yan muttered to himself.
The fight in the sky was seen by countless people in the Heavenly North City. Many swallowed nervously, seeing the old man’s end. With his death, the Hong Family was doomed. Without their elder, their power would plummet.
The once-renowned family now lay in ruins under Xiao Yan, truly hitting a dead end.
After disposing of Hong Tianxiao, Xiao Yan returned the Earth Demon Puppet and turned to the Han family. He vanished into the horizon.
In a secluded courtyard, Han Xue watched Xiao Yan disappear, her face anxious. She was about to fly up when a voice echoed, “The Wind Lightning North Pavilion should no longer threaten the Han family. As long as they don’t mention me, all will be fine.”
Hearing the voice, Han Xue and Han Yue turned to find the young man. Han Xue, agitated, asked, “You won’t come back, will you?”
Xiao Yan smiled softly, “I’ve offended the Wind Lightning Pavilion. Any connection would cause trouble. I’ll visit when I have the strength, hoping you won’t turn me away.”
Tears in her eyes, Han Xue bit her lip, feeling a sense of loss. Han Yue sighed, “Thank you, Xiao Yan. The Han family will always remember your kindness.”
“Just cleaning up my own mess,” Xiao Yan replied, then turned to Han Xue, saying, “Farewell. You’re my first friends in the Central Region. Till we meet again!”
As Xiao Yan vanished, Han Xue sobbed in Han Yue’s arms. At the gate, Han Fei rushed in, sighed at the sight, and murmured, “Xiao Yan, the Han family is grateful. We’ll repay you someday.”
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